Personal Manager

18.  Goodnight

 

For two days now, Kel has been constantly checking social media because he's afraid the model will get into trouble about the scratches. He's very worried and afraid of what people will think.

 

It seems like they're going to release the news. If that happens, it wouldn't be good.  Kel didn't tell Gun about the crew finding him changing clothes because he didn't want to worry him. He's already tired enough from work each day. It seems like no one will say anything, that's why the news is so quiet.

 

"Come sit here," a slender hand patted the soft chair a few times. The person who had just walked out of the bathroom had only a towel wrapped precariously around his lower body. He followed the instructions but turned to face the smaller figure. His gaze was fixed on Kel's sweet face.

 

"Turn around," Kel continued, knowing full well that he had him sit there because he was going to apply ointment, but why was he being so annoying?

 

"I want to see your face."

 

"Look carefully, let me put some ointment on it first."

 

Then, he instructed the young model to turn around before kneeling on the bed for easier wound care. Perfect! Their body levels are perfectly matched.

 

"Still feeling guilty? This is nothing to me," he asked as the manager began to gently attend to him, his slender fingers spreading the cream along the wide wound down the middle of the back.

 

"excuse me"

 

"This is the tenth time" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but Kel really does apologise to him often. He's been saying it ever since he came back from filming the TV show.

 

"I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to get any scars." The voice was so soft that the listener could tell the speaker was looking dejected.

 

"It won't hurt. A cat scratch wouldn't hurt, would it? Besides, I've given you far more marks than this," he said jokingly, not wanting to show any real pain.

 

"I was afraid other people would see the marks on Gun's body. I shouldn't have scratched him with my nails."

 

"Who would see? I haven't been doing any modelling lately."

The reason Gun has to stop accepting modelling jobs is that the series officially started filming today, the first day, from morning till evening. Upon returning to my room, my personal manager ordered me to take a shower immediately so I could apply the ointment.

 

"There's a scene in the series where I have to take off my shirt, I remember," Kel said, worried that people on set would see. This time it would be a big problem; people might even gossip about it. Gossiping to find the source of the mark.

 

"There's only one shirtless scene, and that's at the end. This mark has probably disappeared by now, don't worry."

 

"When the director informed us that there would be that scene..." The slender figure couldn't finish the sentence, and her hand, which was applying ointment, involuntarily froze.

 

"The scene on the bed, you mean?"

 

"Hmm, I didn't want to sit and watch while Gun was on set. Such a childish thought," he blamed himself for speaking like a possessive child.

 

I really can't bring myself to express how uncomfortable I feel, even though I know this series is a sweet romance with lots of cute scenes.

 

"It was just acting," Gun turned back to face him.

 

"I know, but you were so close on the first set today. So close that I didn't want to look, but I couldn't go anywhere. I can't imagine what it will be like when we get to the scene on the bed...What if there's hugging, kissing, and caressing?"

 

"You're being fussy." The taller person moved to sit on the bed beside the smaller one, before reaching out to hold their hand.

 

"You are such a kid, even though you are older than Gun," he muttered to himself again.

 

"I'm glad you're protective of me. Or should I call the director and tell him I'm not comfortable playing the lead role anymore; I'm more comfortable being a model?"

 

"Are you crazy?" Kel glared at him.

 

"You'll be worried," he said with a serious expression, though inwardly he was laughing hysterically at having successfully teased the other person.

 

"That's not it at all. Oh well...never mind, let's pretend I never said that.”Kel frowned, realising he shouldn't show his jealousy. Like this, work is work. He shouldn't be a burden to Gun.

 

"So, in short, you're not possessive?" He raised his dark eyebrows in question.

 

"Wow... I'm jealous too. But I can handle it, don't worry. I'll manage my feelings well."  Kel became flustered, realising his anxiety would 

affects the model's work.

 

*Kiss*

"You're so cute. You're always like this when you're jealous." Cute people deserve rewards.

 

"I'll try to be less jealous."

 

"No way, why would you be less jealous of me?" the tall man retorted instantly.

 

"Huh! So what should I do?" He was starting to get confused.

 

"What should I do?" Gun asked, moving his hand to touch the slender thigh.

 

"No... I haven't showered yet," the slender hand quickly stopped him.

 

"Come sit on my lap, I want to hug you."

 

"I told you I haven't showered yet."

 

"Don't be stubborn." So it seems Kel is at fault. Gun pulled the small figure onto his lap and rested his chin on his shoulder, his strong arms embracing him completely.

 

"So spoiled," he grumbled, but he ended up giving in to everything anyway.

 

"Are you tired today?"

 

"I'm not tired, it's me who's tired." Seeing him work all day, I can't help but feel sorry for the model. Especially some shoots that take so long. It will take time to get the director's approval.

 

"Just having you around makes me feel refreshed," he said truthfully. Seeing his petite manager sitting nearby, offering encouragement, was enough to give him the strength to keep working.

 

"I like being a model manager more than being a DJ now," he said, genuinely preferring DJing. So I've wanted to tell Gun for a while now that not going to pubs and bars has made him realise other things make him happy too. In fact, maybe even happier.

 

"Really?" The young model smiled broadly, not expecting to hear that.

 

"What I like is that I get to be with Gun every day. I see him when I wake up, and I see his face when I go to bed."

 

"So, do you like my job or me?" His lips brushed against Kel's white neck as he asked, kissing him as he spoke.

 

"I like the job," I'll answer, albeit reluctantly.

 

"And what about me?" The arms tightened around him.  Kel tried to pull his neck away, but there was no escape.

 

Ringgg...

"I'll take this call first," he reached for his phone, which was nearby. It was his mother's number.

 

"No, you can't answer that. Answer the previous question first," he said, holding back. He was being too serious.

 

"I like Gun more than anything in the world."

 

kiss!

"Yes, Mom," the slender figure answered the call, having to talk on the phone while simultaneously raising one hand to stop the person who kept making inappropriate advances towards him.

 

 ("Come home today.") The voice was loud enough for Kant to hear, and the incessant behaviour stopped.

 

"Is something wrong, Mom?"

("Can't I have a meal with you?") The person on the other end continued.

"But Kel has already had dinner."

("Come home for a night. Mom misses you.")

 

"I thought Mom and Dad wanted you to work day and night." ("If we knew your uncle's modelling agency would work you so hard that you wouldn't be able to find your way home, we wouldn't have let you go.")

 

"See? I miss you when you're not coming back." Kel's slender lips curved into a happy smile as he teased ("I miss you so much, come back soon").

 

"Okay," he said, and then hung up the phone.

 

"That's too bad. I guess I have to go home," a deep voice said, having heard everything.

 

"Yes," the short person nodded.

 

"May I give you a ride?" Because there was no way he could refuse.

 

"How are you going to get back?"

 

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

 

"Is that so?" his slender eyebrows raised in question.

 

"Well, to be honest, I don't know anything about your family."

 

"Want to listen? But it's long," Kel said. Gun nodded in response.

 

Then the two exchanged personal stories.  Kel talked about his family business, but explained that he didn't help because he didn't graduate in design; he studied communication arts and chose to work with his uncle. Kel expects his younger brother to continue the business. 

 

Gun also went into detail about his family, which he had mentioned on the show that day, and even said he had called his father to complain about being heartbroken when the rejection came in.

 

A luxury car pulled up in front of the large house at 7 PM. The gate was quite a distance from the house, and a European car was parked inside. The lights are still brightly lit throughout the property, except for this area where Gun parked, which is dimly lit.

 

"I'm leaving now. You can sleep alone tonight, right?" the slender figure asked. In truth, it was he who couldn't sleep alone; he would miss him. That must be a warm hug.

 

"What if I say no?" the tall man said with a straight face. He didn't want to sleep here, but how could he argue?

 

"We'll video call all night," so I can see his face before bed, just like we used to.

 

"I want to hug you." This is something Gun has become addicted to, almost like a daily routine.

 

"Good boy, just for one night."

 

"Okay, I'll wait."

 

"very good"

 

Upon hearing the adorable answer, the petite figure leaned over and kissed the handsome model on the lips. Before Kel could pull away, Gun grabbed his waist. Gun wouldn't settle for just a kiss; he wouldn't get to hug him for a whole night, so he had to do more. And then, their lips met in a passionate kiss. A hot, moist tongue gently slipped through Kel's beautiful lips. There was no rush; Gun was savouring the sweetness. After a while, their breathing became heavier with desire until one of them had to stop. "Stop," Kel said, afraid he would get carried away.

 

"Red lips," Gun said, chuckling softly. It was probably because he'd been kissed for so long. Upon hearing this, the other person immediately touched that area and bit their lower lip.

 

"I have to go now," Kel said, blushing and quickly getting out of the car, walking into the house without looking back at the person who had dropped him off. Gun watched until the shorter person disappeared, yet he couldn't stop smiling. Every movement of the other person seemed adorable and endearing, especially when Shy, after being kissed, Kel often doesn't know how to act. He's a flirt, but sometimes his shyness makes him fun to tease.

 

A slender figure walked into the house, smiling, his thoughts filled with the young model's face. His initially racing heart had calmed down. Inside the living room, his mother and uncle were chatting. When they sensed his arrival, they turned to look, but none of them smiled at him. The atmosphere felt strange.

 

"Come sit next to me," his mother nodded, beckoning. "You said you wanted to eat with me, so why aren't you in the dining room? And what about all that talk about missing me?"

 

But instead, she didn't run over to hug and kiss me like he usually did.

 

"Hello. Have you eaten yet? And where's my father?" He bowed before walking over to sit down.

 

"Dad went to Chonburi for two days."

"See? That's why you called back—Dad's not here. Mom gets lonely, too, huh? And Pao hasn't come back yet?" A smile spread across his face. The questions continued in a cheerful voice.

 

"Play games upstairs," Mom said curtly.

 

"Kel," the uncle called out, but his eyes looked serious.

 

"yes"

 

"Are you hiding something from your uncle, nephew?"

 

"Um...what is it, Uncle?" The open-ended question sparked many possible answers. Was he hiding something?  It's upsetting because I have so many secrets inside. Or did someone tell Uncle about the scratches on Gun's back? I thought about it, but didn't say it out loud.

 

"You know I've always understood about you dating guys," this time it was his mother who spoke up.  nodded once, but frowned.

 

When he was dating Ohm, both families knew about it.  even brought Ohm to meet his parents, and they seemed to like him a lot because of Ohm. He's a respectful person and gets along well with elders, but what his mother is about to say...

 

"Can't you avoid doing anything scandalous? Secretly dating isn't fun, and besides, he's a celebrity."

 

"..." Kels' eyes widened, and his heart sank.

 

"Are you secretly dating Gun, or what kind of relationship do you have?" his uncle asked. I hesitated even more and didn't dare. He couldn't answer anything, but the more he remained silent, the more indirectly pressured he became, leaving him with no way out.

 

"I didn't think anyone would know about this relationship. How did my mother and uncle find out?"

 

"So, are you guys dating?"

 

"We're not dating. Where did you get that idea, Uncle?" Everything was unexpected. It wasn't about the scratches, but something bigger. He answered accordingly. The truth is, I haven't officially started dating Gun yet, even though our relationship has gone quite far.

"If you're not dating, then what about this?"

 

Kels' eyes trembled as he stared at the video clip on his phone screen. It showed events from two days ago at that studio when Kel went there. The bathroom was there, and Gun pulled him inside. There was the sound of a door closing, and the conversation was clearly audible, every sentence spoken, including when Gun was speaking.

 

"I need some encouragement,"  Kel replied… 'It already smells good.'

 

"Uncle" has finally revealed everything Kel has been trying to hide all along.

 

"If this video is released, Gun will face heavy criticism for doing something like this to his own manager," the modelling agency president said.

 

"Do you like him?"

 

"mother..."

 

"Do you like that model, son? Has it gone too far?" His mother kept pressing him, worried. She didn't want her son to get ganged up on.

 

Everything felt like a lump in Kels ' throat.  He wanted to disappear from here.

 

"Uncle has such a terrible headache, he's going crazy. Can you tell me what's going on and when it started?"

 

"I liked him from the very beginning when we worked together," he finally admitted the truth.

 

"So, Gun likes boys, too, right? Am I understanding correctly?" Because the voice in the clip makes it easy to conclude that, unless the young model liked him, he wouldn't beg his nephew for encouragement.

 

"I like him unilaterally. He's not at fault at all. It's me who was trying to get closer to him."

 

Kel will take all the blame. If the clip is released and the public criticises it, I hope it doesn't affect Gun negatively.

 

"But that voice..."

 

"Well, I followed him to the bathroom. Gun wanted help to get dressed properly, which led to an embarrassing incident. His brother probably wanted to get back at him; that's why he pulled him."

 

"That's how he went in," he confessed. His uncle looked at his nephew with disappointment, while his mother looked on with deep pity.

 

"Can you stop these inappropriate feelings? Stop it now. Don't make Gun uncomfortable or cause him any scandal." Uncle asked.

 

"That's how it had to be. If anyone found out, it would be the end of it."

 

"Brother, can we please not let our son take this job anymore?" the sister asked her brother.

 

"That's not allowed anyway. From now on, you don't need to be a personal manager for any models anymore."

 

Kel is speechless now. At first, he was told to stop these feelings, and that might be possible, even if it requires effort. At most, but now they're saying they don't want me to take care of Gun anymore.

 

"If you don't want this video to leak, he has to stay away from Gun. It seems like the person who sent it is from a rival agency. Right now, I have people investigating..."

 

"Whose doing is this?" In some cases, they use dirty tactics, spreading scandalous rumours about opposing celebrities and models to create social backlash and reduce their work opportunities.

 

"Will the clip be released?" He was terrified, afraid that Gun would be harmed.

"It says this is just a warning."

 

"It's alright, dear. You don't have to work. Just stay home with me."

 

"Does Dad know yet?"

 

"No, I won't tell anyone because I don't want to make a big deal out of it. Right now, we need to remain calm."

 

I wanted to cry so badly, but I had to hold back.

 

"Don't worry about who will take over Gun’s work. I'll have the model manager at the modelling agency handle it for now. They'll probably find someone..."

 

"I'll find someone new soon." A sudden pang of heartache struck at the thought of not being together anymore.

 

"Could I have two days, sir?"

 

"For what?"

 

"At least let me say goodbye to my younger brother first." I want to say goodbye one last time. If the time comes and I can't say anything, I want to be able to look him in the face.

 

"Just one day," the uncle declared, not wanting to risk getting involved with those who were plotting against him.

 

"Okay, then I'll go up and rest. I apologise again for the trouble I caused you. I'll back off." Having said that, he immediately got up and left. Tears, those damn tears, streamed down his cheeks the moment he stepped onto the first step of the stairs. Damn it... if he were to wipe them away...Now, Mom and Uncle must know for sure that he's crying.

 

"What's wrong, P’Kel?" he hadn't even gone into his own bedroom yet when his younger brother, who had just come out of the room next door, asked. It was because the two siblings had bedrooms next to each other.

 

"Pao," he looked at his twenty-year-old younger brother's face. He couldn't take it anymore. The more he was questioned, the more he couldn't stop crying, so he quickly ran into his own room, slamming the door shut.

 

Gun called several video calls, but he wouldn't answer. Now the large pillow is soaked with tears, ever since he entered the bedroom. He was crying uncontrollably, almost unable to breathe. When the crying stopped, he picked up the phone to look at it.

 

GUN: Please answer the phone.

 

Now, the message was in text format. I tried to reply, but his hands trembled like never before. He typed a jumbled mess of correct and incorrect words as tears welled up, blurring his vision. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, but they continued to flow incessantly. Kel deleted and retyped the message several times to make sure it was correct.

 

Nickel: I'm sleeping with Mom tonight, so I can't talk.

GUN: That's too bad. I miss you so much.

Nickel: I was thinking about Mom, but she's asleep now.

 

I spent a long time crying myself to sleep. I needed to lie because I didn't want Kant to see me like this. I didn't want him to know how much pain I was in. I admit it was incredibly difficult for Gun... I had so much love for him, but it was forbidden. Gun’s future had to come before anything else. If I lost this love, all I had left was a stable career.

 

GUN: Sent a sticker.

Nickel: We'll see each other soon.

 

He typed again when he saw the sticker he had sent back, crying. The message, "See you soon," meant it was the last day. From now on, if he weren't involved in the entertainment industry, he probably wouldn't see Gun again, unless it was on TV or in magazines. He had to live on and return to his own life without Gun. Kel would cherish the memories of that time as the best memory forever. He would try to smile at the happy times he shared with the man named... Kantapong.

 

Nickel: Good night.

GUN: Good night, my talented one.

 

Upon reading that sentence, his sobs erupted again, and he shook uncontrollably. How could he be Gun’s strong person when he couldn't stop crying? What strong person would shed so many tears? His slender hands clutched the blanket tightly before pulling it over his face. The more he tried to stifle his sobs, the more painful it became. A lump formed in his throat. He missed Gun so much.